Widener Honors Faculty for Teaching, Research and Civic Engagement

Widener honored the outstanding work of six faculty members.

Widener University on Thursday honored the top faculty in the areas of teaching innovation,
research, and civic engagement at its annual Faculty Awards Banquet. Dr. Jill Black,
assistant professor of physical therapy; and Dr. Scott Van Bramer, professor of chemistry,
garnered top honors at the event coordinated by the Office of Teaching, Learning and
Assessment.

"I share the external reviewers' commendation of our faculty's remarkable contributions
and take great delight in being associated with each and every one of them," said
Stephen C. Wilhite, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "I am
honored to champion their dedication to their students and their constant pursuit
of excellence."

Black, a resident of Claymont, Del., received both the Outstanding Researcher Award
and the Faculty Award for Civic Engagement.

The Outstanding Researcher Award recognizes a faculty member who is acknowledged nationally
for his/her research and scholarship, quality of scholarly work, contribution to the
profession/discipline and contribution to promoting the university's mission and vision.
Dr. Itzick Vatnick, professor of biology and environmental science; and Dr. Ning Wang,
professor of education, were honored as nominees.

The Faculty Award for Civic Engagement recognizes a faculty member's contributions
to Widener's civic engagement mission, especially the contribution to students' understanding
of their social responsibilities, and the impact of their disciplinary learning in
a particular program involving community constituencies. The winner of the award is
selected from the finalists for the Fitz Dixon Innovation in Teaching Award and the
Outstanding Researcher Award. Dr. Vatnick was honored as a nominee.

Black's research focuses on exploring cultural issues and community engagement in
physical therapy. She contributed to the creation and operation of the Chester Community
Physical Therapy Clinic, the first student-led, stand-alone pro bono physical therapy
clinic in the United States.

Black's article highlighting the model for the clinic is published in the journal
Physical Therapy. This model has been used by at least 10 other physical therapy graduate
programs to establish their own student-led physical therapy clinics.

Black has utilized quantitative and qualitative methodologies to research and provide
evidence in support of community engagement, service-learning, international clinical
education and student-led pro bono services in physical therapy. Black has 23 publications
in peer-reviewed journals, and more than 25 professional presentations related to
her scholarly works. She has also contributed several book chapters and monographs,
served as co-editor of a textbook on cultural competency in physical therapy, and
as assistant editor of a special topic issue on the internationalization of physical
therapy in The Journal of Physical Therapy Education.

Black earned a doctorate in physical therapy from Widener, a doctorate of education
in curriculum and instruction, a master of science in exercise science, and a bachelor
of science in physical therapy from the University of Delaware.

Van Bramer, a resident of Wilmington, Del., received the Fitz Dixon Innovation in
Teaching Award, which recognizes a faculty member who has designed and implemented
an innovative or experimental teaching/learning project. Dr. Robert Bonk, professor
of professional writing; and Dr. Brent Satterly, associate professor of social work,
were honored as nominees.

Developing engaging and inquisitive minds through critical thinking habits is central
to Van Bramer's teaching philosophy. His project involved using focused feedback to
improve critical thinking and learning outcomes in chemistry students. Van Bramer
led the chemistry faculty in revising the chemistry laboratory sequence taken by science
and engineering majors and the senior capstone experience for chemistry majors. The
design of the courses and experiences shifted from giving students detailed step-by-step
instructions to giving students structured feedback to guide their learning. Through
this enhanced course design, students receive regular and guided feedback on presentations,
papers and lab experiences with opportunities to improve their work.

Assessment findings confirmed that the learning outcomes and student retention improved
and were accompanied by high levels of faculty and student satisfaction with the changes
in teaching and learning activities. This innovation in course design and use of focused
feedback to enhance critical thinking resulted in 10 national and regional presentations
and was published in an American Chemical Society symposium series publication.

Van Bramer earned his doctorate in analytical chemistry from the University of Colorado,
and a bachelor of arts with distinction in chemistry from The Colorado College. He
has been with Widener since 1994.

Applications of all three awards were reviewed by external academic leaders Dr. William
Clyde, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs for Manhattan College;
Dr. Nancy Hensel, president of New American Colleges and Universities; and Dr. Elizabeth
Paul, provost and vice president for academic affairs for Stetson University.

Widener University is a private, metropolitan university that connects curricula to
social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal
attention, leadership development and experiential learning are key components of
the Widener experience. A comprehensive doctorate-granting university, Widener comprises
eight schools and colleges that offer liberal arts and sciences, professional and
pre-professional curricula leading to associate's, baccalaureate, master's and doctoral
degrees. The university's campuses in Chester, Exton, and Harrisburg, Pa., and Wilmington,
Del., serve some 6,300 students. Widener is proud to be a tobacco-free university.
Visit the university website, www.widener.edu.